Oxford Hills takes Class A baseball crown

STANDISH, Maine — Senior righthander Erik Henderson pitched a four-hit shutout and teammate Ethan Davidson singled home the game’s only run in the fourth inning as Oxford Hills of South Paris edged Biddeford 1-0 on Saturday to win the Class A baseball state championship.

The state title was the first since 2005 for Oxford Hills, which finished the season with an 18-2 record.

Biddeford, which only qualified for postseason play on the final day of the regular season, finished at 12-8.

Henderson, who had thrown 101 pitches in a complete-game victory over Brewer in Tuesday’s Eastern Maine final, came back on three days’ rest to stifle Biddeford largely with his control.

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He yielded seven singles, but walked no one during a 77-pitch performance that included 57 strikes.

Henderson didn’t strike out anybody until after getting into his biggest jam, that in the sixth inning when Biddeford had runners at first and second with one out after a single by the Tigers’ Tyler Parker. But Henderson struck out Travis Vigneault and Chris Jones to end the inning, and after yielding a two-out single to Cody Chalout in the seventh, he struck out Trevor Fleurent to end the game.

Biddeford stranded seven runners on base during the game, four in scoring position.

Fleurent also pitched well for Biddeford, allowing just four hits while striking out seven and walking two.

But Oxford Hills scored the only run it needed in the top of the fourth. Andrew Keniston led off the inning with a double down the left-field line, and Matt Verrier walked.

Fleurent retired the next two batters he faced, but Davidson grounded the first pitch he saw through the shortstop hole to drive Keniston home from second base.